The Bride
by Akaisuri
Summary: In the towering woods surrounding a small village, a certain creature stalked, protecting the villagers from invaders and providing them rich harvests. Yet his services does not come free. Every decade, a maiden is sent into the woods as offering to the unseen creature. Her blood will satisfy the creature's never ending hunger and she will never be seen again...
1. Sypnosis

**Author's note** : I posted this story some time ago (I actually started wrote the prologue when I was 15, that was 4 years ago) but I had to take it down because a) I couldn't make any progress aside from a few cringe chapter drafts b) the plot is there, but I somehow couldn't tie it up together c) my life is a mess.

This was based off a fairytale, one that is very close to my heart. Now I won't name it, but after I watched that certain tale's live action and left the cinema with a black hole where my satisfaction was, I decided to put time and effort into this story again. I simply cannot _not_ do it.

So anyway, welcome to a "new story" by yours truly. I dedicate this to broken dreams, sleepless nights and to that tiny piece in our hearts that'll remain a child forever.

 **Disclaimer:** Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me in any form.

This story is a work of fiction, anything similar or bear any likeness to a person, a place or an even is purely coincidental.

* * *

In the towering woods surrounding a small village, a certain creature stalked, protecting the villagers from invaders and providing them rich harvests. Yet his services does not come free. Every decade, a maiden is sent into the woods as offering to the unseen creature. Her blood will satisfy the creature's never ending hunger and she will never be seen again...

Sakura's only dream was to escape the confining space of the village she grew up in. She wished to step out of the shelter of the tall trees she'd known since birth. She almost did it too, had the creature who'd been slumbering near their village not awakened and demanded a human sacrifice.

Suddenly, she found herself dressed in the intricate cloths she'd woven herself and tossed into the woods with nothing but a torch in her hand to guide her path. Then, she was staring into the most terrifying pair golden eyes she'd ever seen…


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

It was interesting how a small mistake can ruin an entire image, Sakura noted as she frowned and decidedly gave up on painting all together. She supposed the image can still be plausible, if the viewer could manage to overlook the fact that her cat now looked like a blob of orange, black and white paint.

It wasn't her fault, really. Why she was painting when she'd never done so before in her whole life was something that could be blamed on none other than her most talented friend, Tomoyo.

If one would place Sakura beside her friend and ask anyone in their village who they think was better, one would no doubt point at Tomoyo. Not only because she was a dark beauty whereas Sakura was an average brunette, but because Tomoyo's list of weekly achievements easily surpassed everything Sakura could've done in her entire lifetime.

Tomoyo was the epitome of talent. She was good at everything she does, which, Sakura supposed, came with being the daughter of the village head. To her it seemed like an inborn trait. She was adored by everyone.

Stories of her reach far and wide and often times travelers come to their village in search of the 'myth of beauty', as they called her. Most didn't believe such stories at first, but one glance at Tomoyo and they'd dissolve into _oohs_ and _aahs_.

On the other end of the stick (well, if the stick was thousands of mile long, actually) was Sakura, the average village woman. She was plain, with brown hair and skin slightly tanned from working under the sun. Though if she was a bit more confident she would say that her unusually green eyes were something she could be proud of. But of course, a small aspect of her couldn't possibly make up for the merely passable state of the rest of her body.

In terms of personality, she was nice enough, she supposed. But then again, if the basis of "nice" was upon a certain dark-haired beauty who participated in work not for herself, but for the village orphanage, Sakura was certain she was decidedly not _that_ good-hearted. Not that she couldn't sympathize with orphans–she was an orphan herself–but being average means having an average income. Or in other words, having barely enough food to fill your stomach. She simply couldn't afford to work and not get paid.

It was not surprising that Sakura found herself lacking in more ways than one. It didn't help that she and Tomoyo grew up close (as her mother was a patron of the orphanage Sakura grew up in) and that they were as close as friends can be. Naturally, whispers of comparison arose. Usually Sakura ignored it – as she had learned crying and feeling sorry for herself did not help anyone–and Tomoyo always waved off such words with a smile and a, "Everyone is different. Besides, I don't see the point of comparing lilies and daisies. I think they are both lovely in their own way, don't you agree?"

Sakura also thought of pointing out that daisies are pretty much weeds in their village, but she decided against it. Tomoyo might not show it, but the comparisons affect her as well. She is a very loyal friend and it always bothered her when people couldn't see how "simply magnificent you are, Sakura!"

And so, because they valued honesty in their friendship more than anything else, Sakura told Tomoyo of her feelings of inadequacy. Her friend, being the good-hearted person that she is, looked horrified and close to tears. She blamed herself for not understanding her sooner. Then, as if she had a stroke of genius, Tomoyo straightened and formulated a plan. All in the span of two minutes. If they weren't having a heart-to-heart talk at that time Sakura would've laughed.

"I really don't believe in talent," Tomoyo had said. _That's what people with talent would say._ "I worked hard for everything I'm good at. You know how much play time I had to sacrifice to practice watercolors, right?" Sakura could only nod. "Then it must be the same for you! You simply have to develop skills, with practice."

And that was how all this started. Yesterday it was singing. The day before that, writing. Today it was painting. She was neither good nor bad at each activity. She was average in everything. Painfully so.

"Sakura?" Tomoyo called, her head peaking by the doorway. For their "painting lessons", Tomoyo had lent her studio. Sakura almost wept at the waste of expensive paints and canvases. "Are you done?" she asked as she entered, retying the apron around her waist to prevent her dress from getting annihilated by Sakura's clumsiness.

Sakura bit her lip, glancing at her mutated cat, then nodded hesitantly.

Tomoyo brightened and clapped. She stood behind her to view her work. "My, what an excellent ball!" she exclaimed. She said it so proudly that Sakura couldn't help but feel confident.

But then she fell silent, because she couldn't remember including a ball anywhere in her work. Then it hit her. "That's a cat." She looked up at Tomoyo, whose lips started twitching, then they promptly dissolved into peals of laughter. "I tried!" Sakura protested with a half-hearted glare.

Tomoyo tried to speak, but could only wheeze and fold her arms over her stomach, her face turning beet red from laughing too hard. Which made Sakura laugh harder, because she looked too ridiculous. They both did.

"I give up, Tomoyo," Sakura said with a sigh once they calmed down a few minutes later. She glanced once again at her cat then, after successfully suppressing a snicker, set the brush down.

Tomoyo studied her, her eyes a bit wet from too much glee. "You know, you're not _that_ bad."

Sakura snorted. "Yes, as evidenced by my _cat._ "

"Stop it," Tomoyo said as she slapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from laughing all over again. "I mean that you don't have to be good at everything. One is good enough, and I believe you're pretty great at sewing."

"Tomoyo…" Sakura suspiciously sounded close to whining.

"What? You are. Just because a skill is less flamboyant than others doesn't mean it's less of a skill. You're a good singer as well, but writing…well, anyway, that's not the point. You mustn't compare yourself to others, because we our live lives in our own paces."

Sakura sighed and looked down at her hand, tracing patterns on her lap. She could tell Tomoyo, she knew her friend would try and console her, but she came from a different world. Grew up in a different environment. Try as she might, Sakura knew Tomoyo would never understand. "I know that…"

Tomoyo met her eye, and they both knew that Sakura was holding back, but Tomoyo would never push. She never does, which was what Sakura adored about her.

"You listen too much to the people in the village. I know they compare you to me, but that doesn't mean you should as well. We are different, and you have pretty good qualities as well, better than me in fact." At Sakura's questioning brow, she continued, "You're brave and never goes down without a fight. Stubborn, too." Tomoyo smiled as she gathered the used brushes.

Sakura frowned. "How is that a good thing?"

"It means you fight for what you believe. You put your trust in someone, and it will always waver true." A nostalgic smile touched her lips. "Besides, I know you wish to leave this village someday, so it hardly seemed to matter impressing the people here."

Sakura grinned. "Well, I do plan to make the finest cloth and sell them to the richest kings throughout the land. I'll travel then, and all would bow down to my greatness," she said with a jaunty laugh. She was jesting, but it was still a nice dream. The traveling one.

Tomoyo grinned. "I certainly hope you won't forget me then."

"Don't be silly, I'll need an assistant," Sakura teased. But then she immediately sobered. "I want us to leave together, though. You painting, and me sewing. Isn't that great?"

Tomoyo grinned as her eyes took a far off look. "That's very nice indeed. But to start off our dream, I'm going to clean these brushes. Then why don't you clean up and join us for dinner?"

Before Sakura could say anything else, Tomoyo fled the room. She sighed, shoulders slumped. If anything, she hated feeling down, so, as she always did, she stood and slapped her palms over her cheeks. Now, _that_ felt refreshing.

She may never be good as Tomoyo, and the comparison between them might not stop anytime soon, but Tomoyo was right. She should focus on her strengths instead. Soon, she'll not only sell cloth to this village but to the next one too. Then eventually, she'll have to travel far and wide to answer to the people's demands of her cloth. Now, she simply had to make sure she mastered the skill for it. She nodded to herself determinedly.

Releasing a deep breath, Sakura started tidying up Tomoyo's studio. But not before casting her unique cat a grin.

* * *

The cave he slept in shook as he groaned, his tired limbs quaking as he tried to stand up. He fell back on the rocky ground with a roar, his entire body enveloped with searing pain. Flames seemed to lick his skin, seeping under his scales and eating away the vulnerable flesh beneath. Hunger consumed him, a hunger he was well-familiar with, yet held no love for.

"Sister," he cried out, his voice broken, his eyes barely able to open. Was she even alive? She had to be. If he was alive, then she must be as well. Such was a fact. "Sister!" He called out again, louder this time. He heard a rumble, but he wasn't sure whether it came from his stomach or the sliding rocks around him as he woke from his decade-long sleep.

Through his half-closed lids he saw a silhouette. Its back was against the cave opening, casting over him a small shadow. "You're awake," his sister said, her voice happy yet strained. Something must have happened. That, or she tired of him. Which, considering their unfavorable existence, might not be implausible.

"I…ache…" he said, his voice fading into a growl of pain. "Find…find…" he struggled to form words, but to no avail. The flames ate at him, leaving him writhing and growling.

He felt his sister's hand rest on his snout as she said, "I know."

* * *

Sakura woke with a start, glancing around her small, dark room. It was a few hours before dawn, an odd time to wake up, even for an early riser like herself. Did she have a nightmare? No, in fact, her dreams were nothing but darkness.

She shook her head and looked down, only to realize that she'd been scratching her chest. She frowned. Not scratching, to be exact, but more like clawing, as if she was trying to get something out of her own skin.

She shuddered, more than a little creeped out with what's happening. Was it something she ate? Dinner at Tomoyo's house was exquisite as usual, but she could've sworn the peas didn't agree with her stomach…

Suddenly, her bed shook. She screamed, backing against the wall. Surely, the ground was opening up with the intensity of the tremors that rocked her small home. Then, just when she thought she was going to die from fear, she heard the surprised exclamations and the rushing of feet outside.

Acting quickly, she leapt off her bed and quickly donned a robe over her chemise. She ran out of her small cottage and barely stifled a gasp.

Villagers were out of their homes, looking panicked and aghast as they stared at the burning hill a few leagues from their village. It was unusual, something unnatural, for instead of flames, a pillar of fire seemed to blast down from the skies, painting the hill and the night sky a frightening shade of red. A terrifying roar came and shook the ground, sending a few villagers off balance and on their backs.

Children screamed, mothers cried and husbands hugged their families as if to protect them. But Sakura could only stare, transfixed, as a figure appeared on the roof of the tallest building–Tomoyo's house.

"Listen all," the figure finally spoke, eliciting terrified gasps. "The creature who resides in the woods, the one who has protected you for decades, has awoken."

Sakura had heard of this story. It had been passed down from generation to generation. It was of an unseen creature who stalks the woods and acts as their protector and their provider. Yet His service does not come free…

"The time has come for him to take a new Bride. Send one maiden before the next full moon rises, or he will burn everything down to cinders." After a wave of a pale hand, the figure disappeared with a blinding lightning strike.

There was a moment of stunned silence, when no one in the village knew not of what to speak. Then the next, panic ensued. Shouts and wails filled Sakura's ears, but she could barely hear it all. Unnoticed by most due to the rising commotion, all she could do was stare at the pair of great wings that unfurled amidst the burning hill and took flight into the red sky.

* * *

 **Author's note:** A bit short, but I kinda want to make this a short-ish story :^)

Anywho, feedback is deeply appreciated!


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** I finished this chapter ages ago, but with so much going on in my life I'd forgotten to upload anything. I apologize for that. Also, I have two news. One, I may not have been updating, but I kept writing in my free time so I'm now at least 2 chapters ahead in this story. Second, I finally did something I didn't think I'd ever do and asked a friend to read my story prior to uploading them. After some harsh questioning that made me doubt my own plot, I did what anyone in my place would do: ask (beg) him to be my editor.

Soooooo yep. Now this story has two brains working behind it, and hopefully the additional brain would continue to remind the first brain to continue writing because her writing habits suck...

Anyway, I hope no one had forgotten the story so far! And if you ever did...err, it's a good thing that I kept the chapters a bit short...*sweats*

 **Disclaimer:** Cardcaptor Sakura does not belong to me in any form. This is a work of fiction, names, places or events bearing any similarity to real life is purely coincidental.

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

For such a horrific night, the day that followed was oddly peaceful. The birds sang louder and livelier than Sakura had ever heard, the plants greener and the water from the river that supplied the village tasted a lot sweeter. Even the air felt different; warmer, yet not suffocating. It was almost as if everything suddenly sprang life.

Sakura stared at her open palms under the water. She had come back to the river to fetch fresh water to drink. Usually, she did it in the early hours of morning, where she could take a bath as well, but the night kept flashing back to her, and in the end she did nothing but stand in waist deep water, staring at the slow sweep of the river downstream. If the wails of the hungry waking children of the village hadn't woken her up from her stupor, she would've been there well into late morning.

Now here she was, on her knees with her skirt tucked safely between her legs. Her jug stood beside her, barely remembered, for her mind kept wondering. Before she could even understand what she was doing, she already had two hands sticking into the flowing water. It felt nice.

In fact, she'd never felt the river like this. She'd always hated its icy waters as it never seemed to agree with her, even in the hottest summer. Now…it was warm–soothingly so.

Today was unsurprisingly quiet too. The villagers were still shaken and most had locked themselves in their homes. If Sakura hadn't seen what she saw she would probably do the same as well, stay under the safety of her blanket and hope that everything was nothing but a bad nightmare.

But it wasn't.

The creature had demanded a young maiden, and sadly, plain as she may be, she fit into the category. There were four and sixty people in their village, with two and twenty among them who could be considered a young maiden. The way of choosing wasn't even decided, yet she already knew her life was hanging by a thin thread. Two and twenty was too little of a number to provide her comfort.

As if it wasn't enough that the life she'd known had been turned upside down, she wasn't given the sanctuary of being a little younger or older than her one and twenty years. She could break down into sobs and tears, like how she'd seen most of the women her age do last night, but she couldn't do it. Not when it seemed even the air itself was mocking her for her own bad luck. Here she was, head held down as she stared into nothing at all, while the world around her was bouncing with life.

A soft breeze blew against her face, waking her up from her thoughts. It was yet the time to lose all hope. The full moon was a fortnight away. Even if chances of getting chosen weighs heavily on her shoulder, she refused spend her time moping around, wasting time. Besides, her pouch wouldn't fill itself with coins.

Shaking her head to push away unwanted thoughts, she wiped her wet hands on her skirt then started to fill her jug. It was for drinking–as she normally used rain water she'd stored for anything else–and would last until tomorrow. Once filled to the brim, she hefted it up and started her way back home.

As she walked down the familiar path, she took in the small fields farmers use to grow different produce. The sight of bountiful crops nearly made her smile. Her village might be small, but it was a self-sufficient one.

Though sometimes, merchants went by their village, trading cloths and knick-knacks from far off places. Sakura was giddy every time a merchant would show up, for not only would she have extra coins from selling her cloth, she also got to see various pieces of the wide world she never got to explore.

But considering the most recent event, she doubted any foreigner would show up any time soon.

As Sakura continued down the path, she didn't see the old man who always waved at her whenever she passed by his field. He was usually tilling his land or chasing away the occasional brave crow that dared to feed on his crops, yet today he was not in his usual spot, and it seemed that more than one crow was having a feast on his grain. It made her chest ache.

Sakura neared the village center–she needed to pass through it as her home was on the opposite side of the river–and saw a few children playing, laughing while catching butterflies with their self-made nets. Their mothers immediately silenced them and sent them home. The young ones were yet to understand the gravity of the curse that befell upon them. Was that itself a blessing or a curse?

A few people met her eye, but only one or two managed to throw a small smile in her direction. The ones who didn't were women of her age, their gaze downcast as if to hide the redness of their eyes.

Once she reached her small cottage–an unremarkable one that looked like the many others in the village–she transferred her water to a larger jug and used cloth to cover it.

Her home was a simple one. It has a small fire pit that served not only to cook food but also to warm the cold nights. Tucked on one corner was a table with two chairs, her old loom sitting near it. A small room that contained her cot and her trunk of clothes adjoined the far left. It was pretty cramped, but it sheltered her enough. If one asked her, she'd say she was pretty satisfied of her humble home.

She ran her hands on the petals of the flowers that decorated her table. She'd forgotten to replace them today, but then again, maybe she'll stop placing them in the first place. After all, the woods she gathered them in weren't safe anymore. She sighed.

She supposed she could take a short nap, as she had nothing else left to do. She'd already done a week's worth of work and all that's left was to find consumers for her product.

Loosening the ties of her dress, Sakura laid on her cot and closed her eyes.

She was awakened a few hours later by an incessant banging on her door. "The village head has requested a council and everyone is to attend!"

Sakura leaped out of her cot and fixed her dress before running to the door to open it. But by the time that she did, the speaker was already on her neighbor's door, repeating the announcement.

She hurried to the village center, squeezing herself between the gathering people to get as close as she could. Sonomi, Tomoyo's mother and the village head, was already standing on a makeshift podium, keeping her eyes trained on the arriving villagers.

Sakura waited, her hand fisting the material of her dress as she fought the urge to panic. This meeting made everything seem heavier, not only because it concerns her, but because she could see the forlorn faces of the people she'd known her whole life. The girl beside her was shaking, as if the creature of their nightmares would suddenly jump from behind Sonomi and eat them all.

Once everyone was gathered, Sonomi stood straighter and leveled everyone with an even stare. A little to her side stood Tomoyo, who, for once, didn't wear her usual smile. She was blank-faced, wringing a handkerchief in her hands as she looked at her mother.

"Everyone," Sonomi's voice boomed. "The creature who guards our woods has once again demanded a sacrifice. It may seem out of the blue, but the same request has been made years before, and unfortunately, rejection would doom us all. Compliance is the only way."

Sobs ensued, mostly from young ladies and their families. Sakura wanted to cry too, but tears wouldn't come. How she wished for tears. Maybe then the weight eating her from inside out would disappear and blissful numbness would replace it.

"We will conduct a ceremony two days before the next moon to choose the newest bride." Sakura wanted to laugh at the term. She supposed calling the woman a sacrificial lamb would be too harsh of a word. "For fairness's sake, the bride would be chosen randomly through lots. Every young woman's name who are of age are to be written and placed into a secured box. Once the day arrives, as your village head, I will choose the name of the creature's fated bride."

Sakura saw Tomoyo flinch at her mother's words. She realized that Tomoyo's name would be there too. If one of them gets chosen…what would the other do? They both had dreams, wishes they were yet to fulfill. She didn't know what to think anymore.

Sonomi continued on, but Sakura couldn't hear the words anymore. Sonomi's face was pinched and glaring, as if she was maintaining a façade to cover up her real emotions. She was normally a warm and welcoming woman, yet now Sakura felt as though she was looking and listening to a stranger.

Sakura understood her. Sonomi, as the head, bears the responsibility of choosing the bride. The guilt of the knowledge that you would be sending an innocent to her doom must be eating her even at this moment. Not only that, but her own daughter has a chance of getting drawn as well. If that happened, Sonomi might as well have taken a knife and plunged it into Tomoyo's chest.

A few more words were said before Sonomi dismissed everyone. Then, she stepped off the podium and stoically went back into her house. Tomoyo remained standing silently, her eyes on the ground. Around them, the village sobbed and mourned, but Sakura could only look at her closest friend. She couldn't cry for herself, but seeing Tomoyo so dejected made tears well in her eyes.

Tomoyo lifted her gaze and their eyes met. Sakura raised her arm, as if to reach out towards her, but she stopped midway, her hand hanging suspended in the air. What could she do? How could she comfort her friend when she felt just as lost?

Tomoyo noticed her gesture and a sad smile touched her lips. Without a word, she turned on her heel and followed her mother back into their home.

* * *

As days passed by life swept through the village. Everything was lush, thrumming with vitality and exuberance. Even mothers couldn't keep their children from chasing butterflies or playing by the riverbed. It was as if the flourishing environment resonated with them, calling them out to run and experience the life around them.

Sakura, on the other hand, grew anxious as the fated day approached. She couldn't do anything but think and pace in the small confines of her home. And after numerous failed attempts and wasted thread, she couldn't even work anymore. Her mind was in a disarray, her heart was aching and her head was throbbing with pain. Even blissful sleep wouldn't come.

Time, it seemed, ran faster when one was dreading a specific day. Before Sakura knew it, it was already the day of reckoning. And she had never been so nervous in her entire life.

She tried to clear her head by taking a walk, but when she saw the pitied glances thrown her way, she found herself running back home. She could handle anything but pity. She was certain she'd received enough of it to last a lifetime.

Her eyes caught sight of the vase on her table. It had been empty for too long now. The last time she picked fresh flowers seemed like a lifetime ago.

A thought entered her mind. If she was to be doomed anyway, why shouldn't she fill her vase with her favorite flowers in her last remaining days?

Acting quickly, she pulled on her hood and grabbed a basket. She was out of her house before she could convince herself that what she would be doing was idiotic.

If she stayed home doing nothing but think, she would go insane. But then again, considering she was now running to pick flowers in a meadow ways from the village and deep into the woods, she supposed her sanity was already questionable.

When her feet touched the dense underbrush that skirted the edges of the village, she found herself pausing. Her eyes focused on the tall trees before her. The sight somehow called what little rationality she had left. What was she doing? Since when had she been this reckless? The woods, under all circumstances, was her enemy now.

Shaking her head and sighing, Sakura stepped back and turned around. But when she saw the familiar cottages of her once happy village, she found herself spinning on her heel and running as fast as she could.

Her hood snagged on branches and her skirt bunched around her legs as she ran through thick grass and dense bushes, but she didn't stop. Even when she tripped and landed smack on her face, she crawled off the dirt and pushed herself up, ignoring her now bleeding palms and scrapped knee.

Her chest burned and her eyes watered, yet she felt laughter bubbling up her throat as she neared her meadow. Exhilaration filled her entire being and pushed her legs to go faster and faster until she broke through the line of trees that surrounded her favorite place.

She stopped, her chest rising and falling heavily with every breath as she fell on her knees from exhaustion. The sight before her could only make her gape.

It was beautiful. Every flower bloomed larger than she had ever seen, painting the meadow in a sea of rainbows. Sunlight seemed to bounce off every petal and every leaf, giving the scene an almost ethereal glow. The flowers' sweet fragrance reached her senses, reminding her of the time she'd discovered this special place.

Still in awe, she went back to her feet and walked through the meadow, her fingers trailing through flowers and leaves. She stopped in the middle, by the familiar brook she often played in when she was younger.

In the clear water, she saw her reflection and laughed. Then she looked up at the sky, bluer than she'd ever seen, and laughed harder. She twirled and let her eyes feast on the whole meadow, and her stomach hurt from laughing. Everything was ironic.

Mocking.

She laughed and chortled until her throat constricted, until her eyes watered and her lower lip trembled. And then only strangled sobs and broken screams could escape her.

There, in the middle of all the blossoms where no one could hear, she cried her heart out.

Fatigue set in, and before she realized, she was sleeping on the warm grass.

Sakura jerked awake, her muscles aching from sleeping in an awkward position. Her eyes sought the sky, and when she saw the orange sunset, she leapt to her feet and started running back to the village, her basket forgotten.

The ceremony was at sundown and it was already near nighttime!

By the time she ran past the underbrush and to the village center, everyone was already gathered. She stood on the tips of her toes, trying to see over heads to know if Sonomi has already drawn a name.

It seemed that Sakura made it in time, for Sonomi was only then raising her hand from the sealed box. Her eyes swept over the piece of parchment, and then her eyes glazed over and her lips trembled as she appeared to read the name over and over again. She seemed frozen.

When murmurs started to arise, her eyes swept over the crowd. Her violet gaze landed on Sakura's and held. Her lips barely moving and her voice hard and brittle, she recited the name on the parchment.

* * *

 **Author's note:** I'm not sure when I'll upload the next chapter (as I still had scenes to add, edit and remove before sending it to my friend) but the wait won't be as long as this one, I promise! Among all the headaches, stress and sleepless nights I had this year, writing this has been my saving grace. Thank you for reading! 3


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